Rear Differential Question

glull

I'm nearing the end of a restoration of an 81 36V DS.
Everything has come out great, but I do have a differential question.
When the rear end is jacked up and the cart is given power (forward or reverse), only the passenger side wheel turns. The drivers side will turn a little at the start, but then stops. The brakes are not on and are adjusted properly. Is this normal? I can't seem to find anything on the forums.

BGW

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rib33024

Yes, every thing is ok, only one wheel makes the cart move

jakesnake27

Is that true for all Club Cars?

CartTrader

Yes! just the same as most cars that don't have posi-traction. Only one wheel will turn. Usually the one that is higher or the one the brake is just a tad tighter.

CartTrader

crash test dummy

jdunmyer

glull,
If the brake is dragging, even slightly, that wheel will not turn if the thing is jacked up in the air. Both wheels drive the cart when it's on the ground.

From Wikipedia:
In automobiles and other wheeled vehicles, a differential is the usual way to allow the driving roadwheels to rotate at different speeds. This is necessary when the vehicle turns, making the wheel that is travelling around the outside of the turning curve roll farther and faster than the other. The engine is connected to the shaft rotating at angular velocity \scriptstyle a. The driving wheels are connected to the other two shafts, and \scriptstyle p and \scriptstyle q are equal. If the engine is running at a constant speed, the rotational speed of each driving wheel can vary, but the sum (or average) of the two wheels' speeds can not change. An increase in the speed of one wheel must be balanced by an equal decrease in the speed of the other. (If one wheel is rotating backward, which is possible in very tight turns, its speed should be counted as negative.)

Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differe...ical_device%29 for the full explanation.

Note!! DO NOT run the motor wide open with the rear end jacked up, it can overspeed with disasterous results!

rib33024

This is how your rear in your cart works, you have a Open Differential in your cart from the factory, only one wheel drives your cart, not both tires, the only way both tires drive your cart, is if you install a posi gear set in the rear end of your cart, or if you weld the gears to make it a posi rear

jdunmyer

Rib,
Thanks for posting that video, it's a great explanation of how a differential works.

However: did you actually WATCH it? An open differential drives BOTH rear wheels, allowing the speed of the individual wheels to vary according to the vehicle's turning. The disadvantage of the O.D. is only apparent when one wheel has less traction than the other. That wheel will rotate or spin while the other does nothing. If there is some sort of limited slip arrangement, power will be sent to the wheel with the traction, pulling the vehicle out of trouble.

Welding the gears makes it a "solid" rear end, not "posi". Again, watch the video.

If only one wheel drove your cart, that tire would wear out very quickly, while the other would wear at the same rate as the front (non-driven) tires. Get your cart on something like wet grass, with 2 people on board so the L-R weight distribution is equal, and romp on the pedal. You'll note that both wheels will spin. Not equally, as there will not be exactly equal traction, but both will spin.

Back to the O.P.: if he restrains the wheel that's spinning, the other will begin to turn, as long as the differential isn't broken. Careful checking will probably show that the non-turning wheel has the brake slightly dragging.

glull

Excellent answers, thanks.
I knew that about autos, but wasn't sure if our carts were that savvy...
I will try a friction test when jacked up, just to see how it's set up.
It runs/drives great now, just was curious.

BrettAllen

The video @2:13 says an "Open Differential" can turn either wheel, but only one at a time... and i quote: "with its major disadvantage being that the engine's power follows the path of least resistance, in other words, the power goes to the wheel with the least traction." Unless you have a limited slip set up, which you can buy thru the sponsors or on ebay listed under "Limited Slip, Posi Rear End Kit." Here's a video on how to install: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqDjoYOOzbE